how to think like a six minute strategist...in under six minutes

The Six Minute StrategistBusiness Strategy, Technology & Online Marketing

http://jbdcolley.com

How to Think like a Six Minute Strategist...in six minutes

A Guide to the Six Minute Strategist Methodologyby

John B D ColleyThe Six Minute Strategist


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Legal Disclaimer

The information in this book is for information purposes only.

I am not a lawyer or an accountant. Any legal or financial advice that I give is my opinion based on my own experience. You should always seek the advice of a professional before acting on something that I have published or recommended. Please understand that there may be some links contained in this guide that I may benefit from financially.

The material in this guide may include information, products or services by third parties. Third Party Materials comprise of the products and opinions expressed by their owners. As such, I do not assume responsibility or liability for any Third Party material or opinions.

The publication of such Third Party Materials does not constitute my guarantee of any information, instruction, opinion, products or services contained within the Third Party Material. The use of recommended Third Party Material does not guarantee any success and or earnings related to you or your business. Publication of such Third Party Material is simply a recommendation and an expression of my own opinion of that material.

No part of this publication shall be reproduced, transmitted, or sold in whole or in part in any form, without the prior written consent of the author. All trademarks and registered trademarks appearing in this guide are the property of their respective owners.

Users of this guide are advised to do their own due diligence when it comes to making business decisions and all information, products, services that have been provided should be independently verified by your own qualified professionals. By reading this guide, you agree that myself and my company are not responsible for the success or failure of your business decisions relating to any information presented in this guide.

©2012 John B D Colley All Rights Reserved

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How to Think like a Six Minute StrategistContents

Introduction

Principles of the Six Minute Strategist Methodology

How to use this Book

Top Down Analysis

Bottom Up Analysis

Frameworks and Mind Maps

Step Six - Taking it to the Next Level

Generic Problem Appreciation and Solving

Six Minute Strategist Templates

Six Minute Strategist Pro - Members Area

Thank You

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Introduction

I was inspired to write this book by Tim Forrest (timforrest.com) who suggested that I should try to produce a work sheet using my Six Minute Strategist methodology. I started with one sheet but soon realised that something a little more sophisticated was required. I am indebted to Tim for this “Lightbulb” moment.

I have been honing my Six Minute Strategist methodology for nearly two years and try to use it as much as possible in my Blog as well as in my everyday advisory work.

I really hope this helps you with your thinking and problem solving and would really like to hear back from you with your views and ideas for improving the methodology. You can email me at [email protected]

I am not charging for this book and while I want to protect the copyright, it is absolutely fine for you to share this with whoever you wish. Please do not change anything in the book or my attribution.

Finally, I am very grateful for the time you have given me and your continued interest in the Six Minute Strategist community. I wish you every success with your business

John B D Colley, The Six Minute Strategisthttp://jbdcolley.com

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mailto:[email protected]






The principles of my methodology are very simple -

"One Issue, Six Points, in under Six Minutes"Let me try to explain...Why Sixes?

While there is nothing special about six in itself, I found that it has some advantage when thinking through issues.1 It allows a sufficient level of complexity to analyse an issue. If the issue is more complex then I simply create another level and subdivide these into six more points each.2 As a person who likes to think in pictures, the hexagon lends itself well to creating a matrix of nested hexagons, what I call my "Magic Hexagon" structure.3 People have short attention spans and by limiting any explanation to no more than six points it is possible to be both clear and brief.4 It is possible to communicate six points without too much effort particularly if you set them out in the Magic Hexagon structure.5 Moving from simplicity to complexity within the structure is easy once you have the initial structure.6 This simple approach provides a framework to help you organise your thoughts and in organising them help you to think through the problem and arrive at an explanation or conclusion.

Six MinuteStrategist

Methodology

IssueAnalysis

Nested“Magic

Hexagons”

Clarity& Brevity

Frameworks

CommunicationStructure

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How to use this book

I have set out the methodology in the book with examples and blank templates. I hope you will use the templates for your own problem solving. Please take this only as a preliminary guide and see how you can adapt the methodology for your own use and projects. I would love to hear about your ideas - please email me at [email protected].

Selecting your starting point

You can literally start anywhere. Take the central Hexagon and write define your starting point. It might be a:

topic

issue

question

problem

subject

network

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Top down Analysis

There are two ways to approach the main analysis, this is the first - top down.

Step 1 select a topic

Step 2 brain storm all the issues around this topic with the aim to select the principal six points. Keep a note of all the "surplus" ideas you generate

Step 3 set these out in the first level hexagon structure

Step 4 For each of the level 1 hexagon points, brain storm the points/issues for each of the points

Step 5 set the level 2 points in the next level of hexagons

Step 6 Take it to the next level of complexity; see the variations of Step 6 in due course.

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Lets take an example.

I sat down and recently composed a blog post on the subject

“What is a Social Media Strategy for a Small Business?”

In the space, brainstorm all the ideas you can think of relating to the core topic

Or just make a list on a piece of paper or a spreadsheet

SMESocialMedia

Strategy

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These are the main

Six Issues I came

up with....

Now taking your other

points, identify six major

additional topics for each

point here....


SMESocialMedia

Strategy

Objectives Home on The Web

What doesyour Site

Need?

ContentCreation

SocialMedia

Engagement

Monetisation

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For each of the six topics I came up with....

!1. Objectives a. Answering the key questions; Why? b. Filling the sales funnel ; finding and converting sales leads

into customers c. Find me, know me, like me, trust me, do business with me,

evangelise me: becoming the trust agent, industry authority or thought leader

d. Inbound vs Outbound e. Skills f. Investment 2. Your Home on the Web a. Hub and Spoke Strategy b. Harnessing technology - Wordpress c. Design d. The importance of Google/Search Engines and SEO e. Name and Branding f. Using Analytics 3. What does your Site need a. Objective - inform and educate b. Home Page and Navigation c. Information about you - background, personal, friendly,

contact information d. Blog e. eBooks/information f. Calls to Action

!4. Content Creation a. Text b. Audio c. Video d. Webinars e. Lead follow Up f. Building the List 5. Social Media Engagement a. Facebook b. Google + c. YouTube d. Twitter e. LinkedIn f. Your site 6. Monetisation a. What are you selling: local, national, information, service,

products, b. eCommerce c. Bricks and Mortar d. Information Products e. Affiliates and Commissions f. Lead Generation

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This is what

you get....

when you put

it all together....


Inform &Educate

Objectives

SalesFunnel

Inboundvs

Outbound

Investment

Skills

FindMe

Why?

Home onThe Web

SiteNeeds

ContentCreation

SocialMedia

Engagement

Monetis-ation

SMESocialMedia

Strategy

Hone onThe Web

ContentCreation

Monetis-ation

SocialMedia

Engagemen

SiteNeeds

Objectives

Wordpress

Search Engines &

SEO

Analytics

Name &Brand

Design

Hub &Spoke

HomePage

Blog

Calls toAction

eBooks &Information

AboutYou

Audio

Webinars

Build the List

LeadFollow Up

Video

TextGooge +l

Twitter

YourSite

LinkedIn

YouTube

Facebook

eCommerce

InformationProducts

LeadGeneration

Affiliates &Commissions

Bricks& Mortar

Products/Services

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What if you don't know what your first six categories are, well try building your Magic Hexagons from the Bottom Up

Step 1 Select your main topic.

Step 2 Make a list of every point you can think of relating to this topic. No limits of numbers or boundaries. Just brain dump all your thoughts. The only rule is to have one point on each line. Use a spread sheet to do this.

Step 3 Once complete in a new column write down categories which suggest themselves. The start to group all your points together. To start with don't try to create six categories.

Step 4 Once you have created these categories, refine them to create six principal categories.

Step 5 Then for each category, refine your points to the six main ones, discard repetition, merger similar points, keep extra ones for further analysis later.

Step 6 Move to step six below.

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Frameworks and Mind Maps

You do not have to limit yourself to a 6x6 matrix. As long as you keep to the main principal (and have six points per issue) you can group each hexagon in what ever way the connections work best for you.

A good example of this can be demonstrated using mind mapping software. Here you can create branches to multi levels of complexity and do not have to rely on symmetrical patterns. Remember if an issue requires more than six points, subdivide it to keep the number of points to under six.

I find this very helpful for planning my website and when writing complex articles.

Each of these could be in a nested Magic Hexagon off one another....

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Step Six - Taking it to the Next Level

Having created your initial two dimensional matrix you can take the analysis to the next level by using the six steps below alone or in combination to take your analysis to the next level of complexity.

Six A - Create the next level to create a 6-36-216 matrix or take one or two level tow issues and create a separate hexagon for these by going back to step one either top down or bottom up. As can be seen above, this is best achieved using mind mapping software rather than hexagons in powerpoint or keynote.

Six B Pros and Cons - Using a two colour scheme, red and green for example, fill each hexagon with one colour or the other to create an picture of pros and cons. This can also be done in a list format and then sorted on 1 or 0 basis using a spreadsheet. Having dissected the issue you can then weigh up the balance of the argument.

Six C SWOT - Using either lists (tag S,W,O,T) or the hexagons (using a four colour scheme) label each of your 36 points to characterise your SWOT analysis.

Six D Prioritise A to F or 1 to 6 - For each hexagon prioritise each from one to six in -order of importance. You can now. Tackle these issues in their order of importance.

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Six E Categorisation

Overlaying another category structure on the two level hexagon structure. Where as pros and cons is a binary approach, SWOT is an approach with four options, the next step is to create a structure with six variables.

This is a way of creating another dimension of complexity (six categories overlaying your 6x6 matrix) rather than another level of complexity (which creates the 6-36-216 three level nested Hexagon structure)

Lets look at an example:

This grid shows how I categorise my network contacts...

A -Chums

B -Colleagues

C -Competitors

D -Corporates

E -Professionals

F -Private Equity

1 2 3 4 5 6

A1 A2 A3 A4 A5 A6

B1 B2 B3 B4 B5 B6

C1 C2 C3 C4 C5 C6

D1 D2 D3 D4 D5 D6

E1 E2 E3 E4 E5 E6

F1 F2 F3 F4 F5 F6

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Six E Categorisation (con’t)

Over the initial categorisation, I have applied priorities, rated 1 to 6 to the 36 variables and colour coded them.

This could reflect their importance to me, my likelihood of turning them into customers, how well I like them.

Another way is to adapt the sales funnel methodology

1= Find Me

2 = Know Me

3 = Like Me

4 = Trust Me

5 = Do Business with Me

6 = Evangelise Me

A -Chums

B -Colleagues

C -Competitors

D -Corporates

E -Professionals

F -Private Equity

1 2 3 4 5 6

1 1 1 1 1 1

5 1 1 1 1 1

1 1 3 1 1 1

3 6 5 6 6 4

3 3 3 3 3 3

4 6 2 5 5 5

1 = Low, 6= High

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As a final exercise we can use the Magic Hexagons as a tool for Generic Problem Appreciation and Solving.

The six steps are:

1. Define the problem

2. Brian storm the variables - use the steps above to apply structure to the Six Minute Strategist methodology to create the variables for analysis

3. Prioritise variables. From step six

4. Evaluate options using Step Six of the methodology above to aid your analysis, SWOT, Pro/Con, 1 to 6 etc.

5. Set out 2 to 6 potential solutions - use step six again if necessary

6. Select Best Solution

ProblemSolving

DefineThe

problem

BrainStorm

Variables

PrioritiseVariables

SelectThe BestSolution

EvaluateOptions“Step 6”

Set outPotentialSolutions

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Template: Level 1

Core Subject

.....................................

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

19






Template: Level 2 A

Core Subject

.....................................

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

20






Template: Level 2 B

Core Subject

.....................................

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

21






Template: Level 2 C

Core Subject

.....................................

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

22






Template: Level 2 D

Core Subject

.....................................

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

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Template: Level 2 E

Core Subject

.....................................

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

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Template: Level 2 F

Core Subject

.....................................

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

6.

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Template: Levels 1 and 2 Combined

2A 2B

2C

2D2E

2F

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The Six Minute Strategist Pro - Members Area

If you enjoyed this book and my approach, you might like to know more about the Six Minute Strategist Pro, the area on my website for members where I share with you all the detail of my knowledge and experience of Business Strategy, Online Marketing and Business Technology.

The members area will be launching in early 2012 and I will ensure there is a special entry offer for subscribers to my email list. You can find this here; http://jbdcolley.com/join. Any offer will remain in place for the lifetime of your membership.

If there are any topics you feel you would like me to cover, please send me an email to [email protected].

John Colley

The Six Minute Strategist

http://jbdcolley.com27

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Thank You Very Much Indeed!I hope you have enjoyed this eBook as much as I have enjoyed writing it for you. I am extremely grateful for your continued support of the Six Minute Strategist Blog and Podcast and I hope you are enjoying the videos on YouTube as well!

I appreciate the most valuable thing you can give me is your time and if you have a few extra moments I would really love to hear what you think about it.

Please email me at [email protected] or leave me a comment on my Blog at http://jbdcolley.com. I read every email and comment and it would be great to get your feedback.

Finally, if you haven’t already you can follow me on twitter (@jbdcolley), find my podcast at http://jbdcolley.com/podcast, my YouTube channel at http://jbdcolley.com/YouTube. You can find me on Facebook at http://jbdcolley.com/facebook. Thanks again and I wish you every success

John Colley - The Six Minute Strategisthttp://jbdcolley.com

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how to think like a six minute strategist...in under six minutes

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minute strategisthttp

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